RWBY: Team DARK - A Parallel Story
by DeckSlip
Summary: RWBY and JNPR are just some of the teams we follow in the show, but there were many more promising young Huntsman and Huntresses who enrolled into Beacon alongside them. This is the story of Team DARK, following their stories that run parallel to the stories happening in the show. Join them as they work together to become a team as they study at Beacon and eventually, travel beyond
1. Chapter 1

The city of Vale was a bustling hub of movement but today was more so especially. The Huntsman School for the region, Beacon Academy, was starting the first semester of the new year and therefore, many students and their families had made their way to the city for it. Walking among the crowds, her bright blonde hair standing above the rest at 6'0", was a girl who seemed more out of her element than most. Dusk Solveig stared at her new scroll, trying to adjust the GPS to help find her destination. For the past hour, she'd been walking around the city trying to find the rendezvous point where an airship would take her and other students to their new school but, as far as she knew, she was the only one who was as hopelessly lost as she was. Dusk came from a village far, far away from any of the big cities so coming to Vale, arguably one of the most industrious and diverse capitals in the world, was a shock to her system, hell, she was still adjusting to using her scroll properly.

She followed the path her scroll was showing her until it glitched out and came up with an error message. She sighed in frustration, closing the device and sliding it into the pocket of her purple leather jacket. She decided that for now she could get along on her own, without the use of a scroll she didn't know how to use. She looked up and around herself and the crowds. She was in the middle of a street lined with shops and other small businesses. She saw a bakery, specializing in Mistralian baked goods and a toy shop, where she saw a man and his son walk out with a replica Atlesian Bullhead. What caught her attention was a shop with smashed windows and police tape covering the area out the front. There was a man in a police uniform talking to a short, elderly man, the police officer scrawling down notes as the elderly man spoke. Dusk looked up at the top of the glass window which remained intact and she could make out " _From Dust, til Dawn"_ printed on the glass. A few bystanders spoke behind her. "Another robbery? That's the fourth one this week." A shrill voice said.

"Yep." A deeper voice said. "You have to wonder what the police are doing about it." The voices continued to chatter until they blended into the rest of the crowd. The officer finished talking with the old man, so Dusk made her way over. Her Father told her that if she ever felt lost, to find a person in uniform as they could always be trusted. "Excuse me, sir?" She said to the officer's back. He turned around, standing eye to eye with the girl which took him aback but he quickly regained his composure. Dusk pulled out her scroll and pointed to the destination written in the GPS. "Do you know how to get to this place?"

Dusk was now on her way with a newfound sense of direction. The officer had given her very clear instructions and now she felt comfortable in knowing where she had to go. She still couldn't get used to the city though. Even with the guidance she had gotten, the city of Vale seemed like a maze with endless streets and alleyways that ended up who knows where. As she was contemplating this, she passed one such alleyway, exactly the same as the others she was walking past all day except this one in particular had some strange figures inside. There was a tall man, covered in a black suit. He was talking down to someone that Dusk couldn't quite make out, except for the off-white shoulder cape that covered the top half of the wearer's body. Dusk stared at them as she walked until the suited man's gaze rose from the one he was talking to and pierced Dusk's eyes. She felt a chill come across her body and snapped her head forwards. And so, she kept walking.

There were many students gathered at the meeting point where the airship would take them into Beacon. Towards the back of the pack, a man stood above his peers at 6'4", his silver hair moving in the wind as he looked over the people around him. These would be his classmates for the next three years so he wanted to get a good look so he would know what to expect. He started to zone out a bit when he felt a soft punch to his shoulder. He snapped back to reality as a man walked beside him. He was dressed in brown and had a sword at his hip, his hair was greying but he kept it fashionable, having it shaved on the sides and slicked back. The man chuckled as he came to the boy's side. "Quite a promising looking group, isn't it Rai?" He said to the boy. Raiden adjusted the straps on his chest that kept his long sword on his back, a habit he developed to help when he was nervous.

"Yeah." Was all he said. The man looked at his son with a smile and then looked back at the crowd of students.

"Y'know, back when I went here, the first person you make eye contact with became your partner for the next 3 years." Raiden's eyes widened before they shot to the ground and his dad let out a hearty laugh before patting the boy on the back. "Don't worry about it, son. That's for initiation so relax." Raiden let out a long breath before levelling his gaze again, turning to his Dad with an annoyed look. Duncan chuckled at the boy and rubbed the back of his head. "Raiden, your Mother and I are so proud of you." The older man began. "We've seen you grow into a fine young man and I hope Beacon will help mold you into something greater." A small smile grew across Raiden's face as his Father continued. "Ha, it only feels like yesterday when we finished working on her." Duncan said, gesturing to the sword on Raiden's back. Yes, the two of them had spent many an afternoon, evening and late night working on Raiden's prized longsword.

Raiden was a capable fighter who became exceptional when he was up close and personal with an opponent, so the two worked together to create a weapon that would take advantage of this skillset. The result of that labor was "Iris". A longsword that transformed into a high caliber, automatic shotgun that could still be fired when in its melee form. When the blade was finished, Raiden was so excited that he bolted out of the workshop and began whacking at the training dummy he had in the backyard, much to the dismay of his mother. Iris had been with him through it all, from his early training, to his days at Signal Academy. Now she would see him through his days at Beacon and beyond. Iris was basically family to Raiden, and his trusted partner on the battlefield. Raiden closed his eyes, remembering all this until he heard his Dad beginning to choke up. He turned to the man and put his hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, Dad, please don't cry in public. Please." Raiden said. Duncan wiped his eye and let out a bellowing laugh.

"Oh, don't mind me. Something about an old man seeing off the new generation brings a tear to my eye." Duncan said to his son and this time they both laughed. Suddenly, the students all began to make a commotion as the airships began to land, signaling to Raiden and his Father that their time now was short. Duncan held out his hand to Raiden. "Alright, Son. Looks like this'll be it for now. Make sure that you work hard and if you do, you'll be rewarded tenfold." He said as a final piece of advice. Raiden chuckled and pushed the man's hand aside and pulled him in for a hug.

"Bye, Dad. Take care of Mum for me. I'll miss you both." He said to his Father.

"Ah, don't fret about us. We'll stay busy enough and you certainly will be with your learning." Duncan said pulling away from his son, his hands firm on the boy's shoulders. "Good luck, son. I know you'll make us proud." With that, Duncan began to walk away before he was finally out of sight. Raiden turned back and looked at all the people making their way onto the airships. He ran his hand through his hair and cracked a smile. He was finally here, at the place where he would become a Huntsman. He began on his path towards his dream, and his first destination was onto the airship before him.

Somewhere else at the pick-up site stood two women. One was hunched over the other, checking and fretting and the other one allowed her to do so begrudgingly. Samara Lorn looked over her daughter as a final check before she would fly away from her for a semester. "Okay, so your luggage should already be at the school and that's your uniform, spare uniform and some casual clothes. There's also some other necessities that I packed for you in case you forgot."

"Mother…" The smaller woman said.

"And if you ever find yourself in trouble, don't hesitate to call me. Or write or contact me however, you've got my information for everything. Don't even think about working, you've got your student allowance and if you ever need money just contact me and I'll see if I can send some through. I don't want you to work, you need to focus on your studies,"

"Mother." The smaller woman said again.

"It's not that I don't think you'd be able to manage. You've always been studious and a hard worker so I don't think that a job would impact it too much but the academies are a hard place and it will be a hard journey so-"

"Mother!" The smaller woman said, almost shouting. The raise in volume seemed to work as her mother stopped rambling as she did from time to time. This annoyed the girl but she appreciated the concern. There was a moment pause between the two but the girl sighed and showed a small smile. "Mother, we've been through this many times." She said taking her mother's hands in her own. "I'll be fine, Mum. I promise." Samara looked down at her daughter and sighed herself.

"I know that you'll be fine." Her Mother said. "I know that you'll be better than that, you're going to thrive and excel here and I couldn't be more proud." She moved her hand to the girl's cheek, looking upon her face. She saw the green eyes and freckles as well as the muddy blonde hair that she loved so much. "But you're still my little girl, Kayle. I'm always going to worry about you."

"I know." Kayle replied, moving her hand to her own cheek, placing it on top of her Mother's hand. The engines of the airship began to whir behind them, telling them that it was time to go. Kayle wrapped her arms around her Mother and held her close. "Goodbye, Mother. I'll miss you." Samara returned the hug with an iron grip, which made Kayle tense up.

"I'll miss you too. So much." Samara said, easing up on her hold, pulling away from the girl. "I love you." She said as she let go of her daughter. Kayle smiled and pulled up her hood as she slung her carry bag around her shoulder and hugged her Mum one last time.

"I love you too." She said, letting go. She jogged past her Mother and towards the airship, the girl's dark green cape, flapping about in her wake. She turned back and gave one last wave to Samara before disappearing into the airship, the doors shutting behind her. The airship took off and Samara watched her go, her own black cape and hood, fluttering behind her and then coming to rest once the airship was well off into the distance. As she watched it fly out of sight, a tear rolled down her cheek. She stayed there staring, until the crowds began to fill in the empty space once again.

From high up in the sky, Dusk looked down at the city below her and then to the vast landscape beyond that. She'd never seen anything beyond her village until now but to think that the world was this vast… she swore that she'd see all of it someday.

A girl with blue hair looked over at the holographic TV screen in the airship. Another dust robbery had recently been committed and now the news was reporting on it. She sighed and turned to look out of the window. Through the multiple different people between the blue haired girl and the back of the ship, a pair of eyes, belonging to a figure wearing an off-white shoulder cape, watched her.

Raiden leaned against the wall of the airship, looking out of the window and the world outside. He was surprised he could see Signal Academy. He thought of his training there and all the memories he had. Now it was time to move on to the next part of his journey, and that was at the large school that was coming into view.

Kayle was seated on a bench in the airship, reading through an old book that she'd read through many times before. But no matter how many times she read it, she would never tire of it. It was a story of grand adventure and gallant heroes, of distressed damsels and evil villains. She would not be a damsel or a villain, she would be like her mother and be a hero.

All attention on board the airship turned away from the windows, monitors, books and so forth when a blonde woman with green eyes and glasses appeared as a hologram. Her hands were placed behind her back, her stature and composure showing everyone that she was of authority. All eyes were now on the holographic projection.

"Hello and welcome to Beacon. My name is Glynda Goodwitch…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

After the introduction had finished and a few more restless minutes of flying, the airships carrying the students into Beacon docked at the landing platform located at the very edge of the academy's grounds. The doors opened and the students inside flocked out and onto the school grounds for the first time. Dusk stepped out and looked on in awe at the buildings in front of her. She had thought the city was a spectacular view but Beacon Academy was a different beast entirely. The school didn't look so much like a school as much as it did a castle. The road in front of her was made of stone and adorned with street lamps that lead to the main courtyard which was surrounded by a pool of water and beyond that was greenery as far as the eye could see. The courtyard itself was surrounded by archways and had a statue of a Huntsman and a Huntress located at its center. Beyond that was the entrance to the academy itself which could be seen in the distance, which was a grand collection of buildings that were connected to one another, with a large tower in the middle. Dusk at this very moment, wanted to explore more of this place so she went off without hesitation.

Raiden stepped outside of the airship and got a good look at the place in front of him. Of course, he knew almost every detail about the academy itself including its appearance so he wasn't as stunned as some other students might have been. He looked at the school as if it was an old rival, and he had finally caught up to it after a long time. With a smirk and a feeling of determination inside of him, he followed the stone pathway towards the entrance of the academy, not following the crowds or anyone in particular, but taking the path that was laid out before him.

The blue haired girl shielded her eyes as she walked out onto the landing pad. She felt a warm breeze touch her skin as she gazed at her surroundings. Many people passed, eager to see the school but the girl, Coral, took her time with this moment. She basked in the warmth of the sun as it was much different to the cold she was used to back in Atlas, the place she had come from. After a few more moments, she looked towards Beacon Academy itself and reflected. When she looked at the school, she saw the dazzling lights in the central tower and the wondrous things that people were awed by when they saw the famous institution. But she also saw the walls. Coral had come from a place with many walls, restrictions that were placed on her. However, she saw Beacon as a fresh start. Beacon was a place where its walls were put in place to keep the bad things out rather than to keep you locked in. She shook her head of the thought and with her head held high, she walked to the courtyard with the rest of the students.

Kayle yawned and stretched her arms as she ventured outside the ship. She was the one of the last people off, so it quickly took off as soon as she'd disembarked. She looked over the landscape in front of her and smiled. Beacon looked exactly like what she'd read about and what her mother had told her. With a spring in her step, she followed the crowds towards the academy itself.

Dusk stood in the courtyard, gazing up at the Huntsman monument. She looked at the two warriors, immortalized in the stone. A grin came upon Dusk's face. She was sure that they'd make her into a statue someday. However, her musings of grandeur were interrupted by a thud that was coming from behind one of the pillars that surrounded the courtyard. She immediately went over to see what was going on.

What she saw was a man, around her age dressed in fancy clothes, towering over someone else. She then noticed the smaller creature below him, a girl. She couldn't begin to wonder what this was about. The man sneered at the girl on the ground. "Ignorant girl." He said, with a smirk. "Trash like you should know your place." The girl on the ground responded with a low growl to which the man snickered. "My, my." He said turning his back to her. "You are just a filthy animal after all." The man began to walk away but the girl spoke up.

"Ha! Calling me trash? Really?" She said sarcastically, feigning confusion. She rose to her feet. "With those clothes, you should know what real trash looks like. You know, since you decide to wear it every day." The man turned back with visible anger painted across his face. It seemed she'd struck a soft spot. The man marched back towards the girl.

"You repugnant, insolent vermin!" He said, raising his voice and his hand. "If you don't know you're place then I'll-"

His arm stopped short of its destination when something grabbed it. He turned his head and met Dusk's fiery gaze to which he shriveled back in fear. "You shouldn't talk to her like that." Dusk said. The man seemed to regain his pride and scoffed at her.

"You should mind your ow-" He was interrupted again by a hit straight to his nose. Dusk had head-butted him and then swung him away by his arm, throwing him to the ground. The man rubbed his nose to try and sooth the pain. Dusk looked around and folded her arms before returning her indifferent gaze to the man at her feet.

"Looks like the only trash I can see is you." She said. She took one step towards the pompous man which made him flinch. "Now get out of here." She said, ordering him to do as he was told. The Man did exactly that, scrambling to his feet and pacing far away from Dusk and the faunus girl. Dusk shook her head. "Why would a guy like him be in a place like this?" She said, thinking aloud.

"Don't worry about it." The Faunus girl said from behind Dusk, reminding the girl she was still there. "You'll find jerks like that everywhere and it doesn't seem like the academies are an exception." Dusk turned around and met the girl's gaze. Dusk didn't notice from a distance but now that she had a closer look, the girl was definitely a faunus because she had the ears of a lioness sticking out of her head. Her hair was short and dark but the color became lighter the more it reached the tips.

Dusk remembered where she was and immediately made her way over to the girl. "Sorry. Are you alright?" She asked. The girl let out a small chuckle.

"Yeah don't worry about me, I'll be fine." She said, swiping her shoulder. She then held out her hand to Dusk. "I'm Kassandra, by the way. But you can call me Kass." Dusk took Kass's hand and shook it.

"I'm Dusk." The taller girl said. "Nice to meet you."

"Yeah." Kass said, looking over to where she once was on the ground. "I didn't need your help back there, I had the situation under control." Dusk chuckled.

"Clearly."

"I did!" Kassandra exclaimed. "I was on the ground but as soon as he walked close enough…" She reached at her lower back and pulled out two dangerous looking scimitars. "I would have introduced him to my beloved 'Celeste'." Dusk was impressed. The blades were unlike any she'd seen before, exotic in design and shape and she could tell they were well cared for. Her own weapons were a bit cumbersome to be carrying in public so she'd sent it ahead already. She couldn't wait to be reunited with them.

Dusk was about to let a word out when both her and Kass noticed that the body of students began moving together. Kass put 'Celeste' back in their sheathes and looked up to Dusk. "Well, I guess that's our cue. Thanks for before, I'll see you around, Dusk." She said walking and waving before disappearing into the crowds. Dusk looked on, more confused than she was before. Why would that man attack Kass? He mentioned something about being faunus but surely, he wouldn't do it simply because of that. Dusk pondered this for a few moments longer before realizing that she was standing by herself in the courtyard since all the students had left. She quickly moved off, following the rest of them.

The students were all gathered into what looked like an arena. They were down on the main floor which was surrounded by spectator seats, elevated above them to give whoever was spectating a better look. It reminded Raiden of the similar set up they had at Signal, although this one was bigger. The students were all chatting amongst themselves before a sound from the microphone brought all their attention towards the stage.

"I'll… keep this brief."

An older man with grey hair, dressed in green clothes and reading spectacles was speaking into the microphone. Raiden was well aware of who this man was. Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy. To his right stood Glynda Goodwitch, another staff member at Beacon, her blonde hair and cape making her instantly recognizable.

Raiden and the rest of the students listened to the headmaster's speech. His words inspired some, confused others, and to Raiden, annoyed him. He'd spent all his time at Signal honing his 'potential' and the first step he took was being here. He felt that the speech was redundant so when Glynda told the students where they would be staying before initiation, he quickly made his way off to the designated location.

The place Glynda told them to go was "The Barn" but where Raiden and the other students stood wasn't a barn at all. There was no hay or animals but just a large hall, adorned with large windows. Raiden walked over to the far side of the room, close to one of the said large windows. That way, when he woke up, he'd be the first out of bed with the dawn being his alarm. He'd laid out the sleeping bag he was provided with and propped up Iris against the wall. He was going to be ready.

It was now night and all the students in the "Barn", were eagerly anticipating initiation the next morning. Coral was anxious, more so than anyone else in the room. Some of the students were already asleep and some were keeping busy by themselves. Coral also saw a lot of the students chatting and messing around, things that teenagers would do. She couldn't bring herself to join in though, she didn't know how. The anxiety began to peak within her, so she looked for an out, an escape. That escape came to her when she saw a door that led outside and she immediately made her way out.

Coral took in the crisp night air with a long breath. She didn't like the cold but the chill in the air calmed her down a bit, it was familiar enough to give her that. She stood on the deck of the barn and gazed out into the darkness and saw the silhouette of Beacon Academy, illuminated by the glowing spheres in the central tower.

"Achoo!"

Coral jumped at the sudden noise as it broke the silence. She looked down to the edge of the deck and saw a person huddled up in a green cape with a hood pulled over her head.

"Bless you." Coral said timidly. She said it more out of habit rather than a desire to make sure the girl was alright but it was just the way she was raised, to say it as if it was on command. Kayle wiped her nose with her sleeve and sniffled.

"Thank you." She said before sinking back into what she was doing. Coral, against her better judgement, found herself edging closer to the other girl and looking over her shoulder. She saw that Kayle was reading a thick tome, bound in an ancient black material. She looked over the pages and it was beautiful. The words were printed with expert handwriting and the illustrations were works of art that spread across an entire page. The picture she found herself looking at was a bit bleak, however. It pictured a small child being towered over by an Alpha Beowolf in a dark forest. Coral couldn't help but shudder a bit, and it wasn't because of the cold.

"It has a happy ending." Kayle said abruptly which caught the blue haired girl by surprise. "The girl in the story is actually talking to the Grimm. The Alpha was going to eat her but she ends up telling him tales of her world and the Alpha likes them so much that she takes the girl in as his own, welcoming her to the pack." Coral turned away from the girl and clasped her hands behind her back.

"T-that's strange." Coral said. "I've never heard of Grimm talking to humans before and not… well…" Coral trailed off, realizing how morbid her line of thought was becoming. She was brought back to reality when she heard the book shut with a thud.

"It's only a fairy tale." Kayle said, now looking at Coral. "Have you never heard this one before?" Coral retreated into herself more.

"No, no I haven't." Coral confessed. "My parents never gave me books like those, they said they were too childish." Kayle looked up at the girl with a strange look. She was obviously studying her and Coral felt embarrassed. She almost turned on her heel and went back inside. Kayle moved her cape off of the space that was next to her on the step.

"Would you like to read with me?" Kayle asked Coral. The blue haired girl blinked a few times in confusion so Kayle lowered her hood and spoke again. "We've got some time before lights out and I'd enjoy the company." She patted the spot next to her. "I promise, I don't bite." She said with a giggle. Coral hesitated for a moment but eventually sat down next to the girl in green. Kayle nodded and opened the book to the very first page. "Once upon a time, in a faraway land…"

The two of them sat there and lost track of the time as they both got lost in the stories. The book began with the most famous stories such as the legend of the Four Maidens and other tales of mythical beings and creatures. It then moved onto the exploits of legendary Huntsmen and Huntresses that were toned down for younger audiences and embellished to make them more of a fairy tale. As they made their way through the pages, the stories' tone drifted more into dark fantasy. The tales became darker and more… grim. Kayle read and had been read these stories hundreds of times before but the first times she did as a child, they frightened her, but when she looked at Coral, she was enjoying them arguably more than the fairy tales. Kayle had finished the last page of the story about the girl and the Beowolf and she looked at Coral. Coral kept looking at the book.

"Can we read another one?" She asked trying to contain the excitement in her voice. Kayle smiled, happy to find someone who didn't find her tales stupid and she nodded to Coral's request. They both began reading the first few lined of the next story when they heard the door behind them open. They turned their heads and saw a hooded figure in an off-white shoulder cape.

They couldn't make out its face. Its figure was silhouetted by the light coming from inside and since it had a hood on, a black void sat where its face was supposed to be. Its presence sent a chill down Coral's spine but there was something familiar and comforting about the shadow that was standing in front of the two girls. "Lights out, you two." The figure said, its voice sounding feminine. It quickly opened the door and retreated inside. Kayle sighed and closed the book, standing up to head into the barn and go to sleep. Coral reached out to her.

"Can we do this again… I'm so sorry, what's your name?" Coral asked.

Kayle smiled and chuckled a bit. "Of course we can." She said, replying. "My name's Kayle, and you?"

"Coral."

"Well Coral," She said reaching for the door handle. "I'd be happy to let you read my books, you can ask anytime." She opened the door and looked back to the other girl. "Hopefully I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight." She said disappearing inside.

"Goodnight…" Coral said as she watched Kayle go away. Coral smiled and stood up. She'd made a friend. She hurried up the steps and inside the barn. The lights had quickly turned out after that and Coral fell asleep almost immediately. Tomorrow was going to be a big day for everyone in that barn, so it would be important that they get their rest.

( **A/N:** _Hi everyone. Thanks for reading my story, can't wait to get to initiation in the next chapter because it's going to be really exciting! Please follow, favourite and review, it means the world when you guys do that. Until the next chapter, see you guys later!)_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It was the next morning and it had gone exactly according to schedule. The students were all woken up bright and early, they'd gone to eat breakfast, they'd changed out of their PJ's and into their combat ensembles and now they were waiting in the locker rooms to be called upon to take part in initiation. What that would entail, they did not know yet.

Dusk walked the tiled floors of the locker room looking for the locker that she had been given. This locker had the weapons that she treasured so dearly inside. She counted the lockers as she walked past. 365, 366, 367. And then she came upon locker number 368, her locker. She looked to the scan pad that was near the handle of the locker and pressed her scroll up against it, hearing a satisfying click come from the door. She pulled it open and looked inside with a smile. There, hanging on the door and on a hook inside the locker were her spear and shield, that she'd come to refer to as 'Glory'. She had found the rest of her combat outfit inside as well. She took the clothes and her weapons and found a stall where she got changed, re-emerging shortly after.

Her wild, blonde hair was now tied behind her head in a large braid to contain it all. She was wearing a simple purple shirt under a breastplate that was made of cured leather. She wore a gauntlet on her right arm, as a way to protect the limb that wasn't shielded. She had light denim jeans and combat boots that were tied up to her shins. Once she was out, she took another look at her weapons.

From where she'd come from, Glory was a finely crafted weapon, the magnum opus of the carver who had made them for her and greater than any other. That was until she'd come to Beacon and saw some of the other student's weapons. Some were collapsible, extendable, utilized dust for an elemental effect or doubled as a projectile weapon, things that Dusk didn't think were possible before. She couldn't help but look at Glory and think that it was a little bit inadequate. She shook her head in denial. She smiled down on Glory as she held the spear in her hand and the shield on her left arm. Glory was a great weapon and, when she was called to, could slay many a creature of Grimm, and what else was a Huntress supposed to do? So, she slung the spear and shield behind her back and walked deeper into the locker rooms. She was ready.

Raiden sat on a bench in the locker room, waiting for initiation to begin. He was currently in the middle of his ritual of tuning his weapon. He'd brought a whetstone and sharpened his blade and then buffed it with a cloth. He'd prepared and checked Iris, making sure that she wouldn't jam as he often abused the hell out of the shotgun component as a part of his fighting style. Once he was satisfied, he put Iris back in her sheath and slung her behind his back. Suddenly, Glynda Goodwitch's voice could be heard over the intercom system. "Would all first-year students please report to Beacon cliff for initiation."

That was all Raiden needed to hear. He stood and dusted off his jacket, a blue and black combination of dyed leather and chainmail. He tapped the ground with his steel capped boots and stretched his neck. He made his way out of the locker rooms and towards the cliff. He was ready.

"Again, all first year students report to Beacon cliff immediately." Professor Goodwitch's disembodied voice said again. Kayle shut her book and put it back in her locker. She fastened the quiver at the side of her hip which was filled with arrows. She pulled out her weapon, Leaf Wind, from her locker. Leaf Wind was a long bow that was able to compact itself into a bo staff with blades attached to opposite ends. She had one last check over her gear and gave a satisfied nod. She pulled up her hood and walked towards the exit. She was ready.

A hooded figure in an off-white shoulder cape stood in the shadows of the locker room. With Goodwitch's call, she made her way to the exit, following in the crowds of the other first year students. She felt it unnecessary to check. Her weapons were always perfect, always ready to be used. This was something they had in common with their master, in an emotionless unfeeling kind of way. She was ready, she always was… and she would complete her mission.

The first years were all lined up along the edge of Beacon Cliff. They were all standing on base plates that had the Beacon Academy insignia engraved on them. Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch stood in front of them, the former, sipping from a mug of coffee, and the latter, standing beside him with a tablet of some sort.

"For years," Ozpin began, addressing the students, "you have trained to become warriors and today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." The forest itself sat beyond the cliff they were all standing on, after what looked to be quite a nauseating drop. None of them were nervous however. As Ozpin had just said, they were all trained for this moment, not it was just time to see how good they actually were.

"Now I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams." Ms Goodwitch said. This piqued Raiden's interest as he and his Dad had a brief discussion about it, and seemed to catch the attention of the other students as well. "Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion." The female professor continued. "Each of you will be given team mates. Today." All the students seemed to grow restless at that statement, as they began to look at the people around them.

"These team mates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon." The Headmaster continued. "So, it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well."

Kayle looked around and saw Coral, listening intently to the instructions given. She figured that she wouldn't mind being paired up with her. Coral liked her books and that got them off to a good start. She brushed this thought aside. She figured it was better to not get too attached to anyone at this stage and let the cards fall where they may. _Or in this case the students_ she thought looking at the pad below her.

"That being said," Ozpin announced, "the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

Raiden smirked. His Dad was right.

"After you've partnered up." Ozpin went on. "Make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path…" There was a pregnant pause in Ozpin's instructions that built a tension within the students, before he uttered his next words with a chilling countenance. "Or you will die." The last part made a few of the students gasp and gulp in anxiety but not the girl in the white hood. Kill or be killed in order to obtain your goal was just the way her life worked, and would continue to work until she turned to dust. "You will be monitored and graded for the duration of your initiation but our instructors will not intervene." Good. "You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

There were none.

"Good! Now take your positions." The Headmaster commanded. The students all followed their instructions. Coral pulled two daggers with curved blades from two different sheathes on her hips. She held them at the ready as she was launched from the ground and into the air. The hooded girl went off straight after, flying through the air with a grace that seemed hard to find given the situation. It was one student after the next. Raiden was coming up soon so he unsheathed Iris and got into position, before being hurtled into the air. Next was Dusk who was launched high and fast, trying to maneuver her body to gain as much air time as possible. The it was Kayle's turn, as she found herself being flung outwards into the forest, her cape flapping behind her. Soon after, the rest of the students were launched as the two professors watched them descend into the forest below.

Dusk struggled in the air to find her bearings. She needed to work out a landing strategy as she was falling hard and fast. She could hardly open her eyes as the wind was blowing fiercely and dried them up quickly. But she caught a glimpse of a downwards hill coming into view. In that moment, she remembered from her childhood. The summers she and her friends spent at the beach, surfing down sand dunes on planks of woods. She cracked a smile in delight. She figured that the same principle applied to this situation. She reached behind her back and pulled her shield off it, placing it beneath her feet. She hit the ground but the impact was lessened as the momentum was moved from straight downwards to outwards. She slid for a few more meters, reaching the bottom of the hill before jumping off the impromptu board and landing on her own two feet. She attached the shield properly to her left arm and grabbed her spear with the right. She then took off in a sprint, deeper into the forest and closer to her objective.

Coral found herself in the air one moment and then falling near the ground the next. She had her strategy figured out before she launched however. She had her daggers at the ready as she picked a tree to latch onto. As she hurtled towards it and right at the moment she was about to pass it, she dug the blades into the side of the tree. She was almost at the bottom when her blades' footing lost hold of the tree bark. She was now hurtling toward the ground. She braced for impact and hit the ground hard, rolling on her sides before coming to a complete stop. She lay there for a moment before picking herself up. She was banged up with cuts and bruises but her aura had already started its work in healing her. She got to her knees and heard something coming towards her. She looked to her side but didn't see a creature of Grimm but rather a faunus girl, a lion faunus it seemed. Coral's black Irises met the faunus' green. This was the contract meaning they would be together for the next four years. The lion faunus held out a hand to her. "Hi, are you alright?" Coral nodded and took her hand as the other girl helped her up. "I'm Kass." The Faunus said. Coral looked at her once more.

"Coral. It's nice to meet you."

Raiden opened his eyes and found himself plummeting straight towards the ground. He'd positioned himself towards the front of his launching pad to ensure that he wouldn't arc so much in mid-flight. This was all a part of the plan. He was now coming down almost right on top of a tree so he shifted into an upright position and held Iris high above his head. As he got closer to the tree, the sword began sparking with electricity as his face hardened with focus. Then with a loud crack, like the sound of thunder, he sliced into the top of the tree and began to cut through, slowing his descent. He had to make sure he slowed down gradually and not all at once if he wanted to keep his arms in his sockets, so he fired off Iris' shotgun component, cutting deeper into the tree with each pull of the trigger. After a few more moments, Raiden was close to the ground and he'd come to a complete stop. He planted his feet on the ground and gave Iris a firm pull, freeing the blade from the tree. The tree itself was now split in two and the sides came crashing down to the forest floor. Raiden payed no mind to it and kept pushing on. Destroy everything in your path and don't hesitate, right?

Kayle found herself crashing through the leaves on top of the trees in the forest. She quickly pulled out Leaf Wind, spinning it so it was in its bow form. She reached for an arrow, knocking it against her bow and pulling the string to her cheek. She took a breath and let the arrow loose, not after long embedding itself into a nearby tree branch. A rope began uncoiling itself from out of Kayle's quiver, before tensing up. Kayle swung through the trees, landing safely soon after. Just as she'd planned. She'd pulled the arrow off the tree branch, re-coiled the rope and took off into the forest.

A girl with wavy purple hair sat idly on a tree branch in the Emerald Forest, humming a tune that had gotten stuck in her head. Azure had always loved the song, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out where she'd heard it again this morning. She looked around the area around her. She was being tested at this very moment, unseen eyes watching and grading her every move but she didn't mind because she knew that she had time. Getting the relic at the moment wasn't her top priority anyway. She'd scouted the path to the abandoned temple from her spot in the treetops and saw many wandering Grimm stalking the path, looking for something to eat. She wasn't afraid, but she figured it would be unwise to strike off on her own, so, she waited and sat in her own world for a bit. She waited like this until she heard a twig snap below her. She looked down and saw a pink head of hair bobbing down the path. She positioned herself to get a better look and a smile grew from ear to ear across her face.

"Hello!" Azure called out. There was a small squeal from the pink haired one as she raised her eyes to the tree line. Her turquoise eyes flashed as they met Azure's but before Azure even realized, there was a gun pointed right at her. She sprang to her feet and jumped off of the tree as it blew up into tiny splinters in a fiery explosion. Azure landed on the ground, brushing the dirt off of her floral print dress. The pink haired girl ran over to her.

"Oh my gosh, I am so, so sorry!" The girl said as she started to frantically pat down Azure, trying her best to make sure she was alright. Azure gently grabbed the girl's wrists, making her stop.

"It's fine, it's fine." Azure said to the girl. "I'm fine but what about you? I seemed to have given you quite a fright." The pink haired girl tugged at her own sleeve in embarrassment and didn't say anything more. Azure smiled, containing a laugh as she didn't want to embarrass the girl any further. "I'm Azure." She said. "What's your name?"

The pink haired girl blinked a few times, remembering herself and where she was, finally able to comprehend who Azure was to her now. She took in a deep breath. "I'm Beryllium Lucidus!" She said rather abruptly, bowing deep. "But please call me Beryl in the future!" Azure was now the one who was embarrassed, not at herself but for the girl in front of her. She brought her back up to standing upright and assured her that it was alright. But now that she had a partner… Azure smiled again. "Well, Beryl, now that we're together, should we go choose a relic?" Beryl nodded meekly in response.

"That would be nice…"

Azure turned on her heel but from the corner of her eye, she saw them. Blocking the path and creeping slowly towards them, were two "Creep" Class Grimm and a Beowolf. Beryl saw the three of them and raised her rocket launcher but Azure put her hand on top of it and Beryl lowered the weapon. "Save your ammo." Azure said. "I think we can take these three without having to fire a shot, don't you?" Beryl nodded again. Azure looked at the Grimm and back at her new partner, getting a look at her weapon. Truth be told, Azure thought the weapon and the wielder didn't match personalities at all. Beryl, as she demonstrated before, had a rocket launcher that was capable of causing some serious damage. Beryl had swapped it over into its melee form, the rocket launcher now becoming a nasty looking halberd with a sharp axe head coming out of the side and an even sharper spear head protruding from the top. Azure reached down to her boot and pulled out her own weapon. In her hand, she wielded a blue gladius, a type of short sword. She held it at her side and considered their options. "Okay I have a-"

"AGHHHHHH!" was all Azure heard as Beryl screamed past her with the tip of her halberd pointed straight at the Grimm. Fire was coming out of the end of the large weapon, thrusting Beryl forward at great speeds until it finally hit its target, lodging itself in the chest of the Beowolf and driving it back as Beryl pushed into it more. She quickly disappeared out of Azure's sight, but right now that was the least of her problems. Azure began to sprint towards the two Creeps as one began to rush at her. As the two enemies became close to one another, Azure swung her gladius and impaled the Creep right in its gut. It disappeared into ash a few moments later. She looked up from her kill and saw the second Creep fast approaching. This time it jumped at her but Azure reacted quickly, grabbing the Creep by a bone protruding from its back. Azure slammed the creature into the dirt, quickly pinning it to the ground and then thrusting her blade into the monster's throat. She wiped her blade on her dress, a sudden cry of pain catching her attention. She ran off in the direction it came from, only to find her fears calmed by the sight of the Beowolf from earlier on all fours. Its back legs were dismembered and Beryl was standing beside it. Her Halberd glimmered in the sunlight as she brought it down on the Grimm, making for a smooth execution. The Grimm's head rolled to Azure's feet before fading into dust.

Azure looked up to her partner, who seemed to still be in fight mode. Beryl looked over and realized the gladiator was watching her and she quickly cast her head down. Azure eased the girl's worries by walking over to her and patting her on the back. "That was some good work!" she said, praising Beryl and her abilities. The pink haired girl still said nothing. Azure looked around and saw nothing but forest scenery. She knew, however, that this didn't mean that there wouldn't be any more Grimm coming. She looked back to Beryl. "Wanna go get the relic now?" Beryl responded with a few frantic nods and the two took off on the path towards the temple.

Dusk was running at full pelt through the overgrown forest. She'd decided to take what she thought would be a shortcut, going off of the beaten path. She was going to get in and get out with her relic. That was her plan, until she heard something stomping through the tree-line. She only managed to raise her shield at the last second to protect herself from the debris, but she was still flung back through the air. She landed in a crouch and watched as a Beringel knocked down two more trees in its path. The creature was large and intimidating, covered in armor that looked like bone. It had a skull plate on its face and two glowing red eyes which found Dusk almost immediately. It smashed the ground with its fists and roared at her. Dusk was going to have to fight, she couldn't run from this. She rose to her feet and took a stance as the Beringel began to charge her. Dusk ran straight at the creature, refusing to back down in any way. The creature raised its fist to hammer her into the ground but she dodged at the last second and thrust her spear into the its face but it bounced off the bone mask it wore. The Beringel was faster than Dusk had thought, as it sent a fist straight into her side, sending her flying.

She hit the ground but got up again, her aura taking most of the impact and tried to come up with a new plan but the beast was on her once again. She raised her shield in defense but every hit made her stumble under the force. She jumped back from a slam and the beast tried to grab her. She saw her chance and got a running start, sliding underneath the gorilla. She got to her feet and quickly stabbed the creature in an unarmored spot. It roared in pain as Dusk pulled the spear out and jumped away from it. It turned to her, angrier than before and roared so loudly that it shook the forest. Dusk had made it angry and she figured that her best chance was to run. The creature was about to strike her but only roared again at something else. Dusk didn't know what until she saw an arrow poking out of the beast's shoulder. She looked around but couldn't see anything, but someone was helping her. Then, an idea struck her.

She put her away and charged at the beast. The Beringel turned to try and find whatever had shot it but its attention quickly became focused on the girl that was climbing its back. It shook and rocked ferociously, trying to shake Dusk off, but to no avail. Dusk now had her feet firmly planted on the gorilla's shoulders and her right hand gripping its head. She raised her shield and slammed it down on the beast's mask, hitting it over and over again until the bone shattered, revealing its dark and ugly face. Once the face was revealed, an arrow whistled through the air and buried itself into the Beringel's face. Dusk jumped off and landed on the ground as the creature screamed in agony and she stared in disbelief that it wasn't dead. That was when she heard a sizzling sound coming from the Grimm and before she knew it, its head exploded into a black pulp. The creature fell to its knees and then hit the ground, before beginning to fade.

Dusk caught her breath as the archer made her way down from the trees. She made her way to the disintegrating beast and pulled an arrow from its still solid shoulder and putting it back in her quiver. Dusk watched her and Kayle looked back, making eye contact between them. Dusk chuckled. "Thanks for the help." She said. "I'd probably make it back to the cliffs in a pulp if it weren't for you…"

The girl chose to ignore that train of thought and offered her hand to Dusk. "I'm Kayle." She said, plain and simple.

"I'm Dusk." She said, taking the girls hand and being lifted to her feet. "Good to know you." She said before taking another breath, looking at the dead monster. "Really, really good to know you."

"Don't worry about it." Kayle said, a devilish smile coming across her face. "Looks like you've got four more years to make it up to me."

Raiden cut through a Beowolf in one clean slice with his blade, putting the creature down for good. He raised his sword, breathing heavily and looked at the rest that were in his path. He'd just been running through the woods when he had the luck to run into a whole pack of the creatures. Iris hummed as electricity coursed up and down the blade but the overuse of his semblance was taking its toll on him. Still, he had to win, no one was coming to help him. He rushed down one, cutting its head clean off after dodging one its claws. He turned Iris into its shotgun mode and aimed down the sights, firing three times and taking a Grimm down with every shot. He switched Iris back to its sword and ran a Grimm through with it. With a cry, he cranked his semblance to full blast and fried the Beowolf until it fell off of the sword on its own. He looked around and saw that there wasn't any left.

He was wrong.

From outside of his cone of vision, a Beowolf pounced at him and dug its teeth in his sword arm. He cried out in pain as his weapon dropped from his hand and into the dirt. His face became overtaken with anger as he grabbed the wolf by the head with his left hand and electrocuted it. Eventually the Grimm fell limp and let go of Raiden's arm, fading away to wherever it came from. Raiden fell to his knees, clutching at his bleeding arm. His aura was doing what it could but he'd spent a lot of it on his way here. He looked up and saw that there were three more of them approaching him with an Alpha Beowolf in the lead. They approached him slowly, as if to relish the kill. He picked up Iris with a weak grip and shakily rose to his feet. He stared them down, daring them to try it. One of the lesser Beowolf was happy to oblige as it ran past its leader and lunged at the boy. Everything turned to slow motion for Raiden as he faced down the monster. He tried to raise his sword but failed as the Grimm's gaping maw came ever so close to his face. But as it did, something that he saw in the corner of his eye caught his attention, even when death was staring him right in the face.

There was a white flash and then the Beowolf in front of him was dead on the ground. He looked at it in disbelief and so did the other Grimm, howling in anger. But then the white flash appeared again crouched in front of Raiden and facing down the three other monsters. Raiden noticed it was wearing an off-white shoulder cape and from under it, two knives appeared in the wielders hands. It threw the knives in opposite directions of each other, hitting the Grimm on the left and right straight in their heads, killing them instantly. Then, two longer blades fell from the cloak and in an instant, the flash was on top of the Alpha. She raised a sword in the air and pointed the blade at the Grimm's skull before bringing it down and putting an end to the monster.

The flash looked at its handy work as the beast faded into nothingness, before turning to look back at Raiden. He still couldn't see its face as it was concealed by the hood. It began walking over to him, and as it did Raiden noticed more things about it. It had black boots that were attached to legs wearing turquoise pants. He could see in brief flashes that under the white cloak it had a light blue shirt on underneath. Raiden had no more time to observe as the flash was now kneeling in front of him. "Are you hurt?" It whispered, Raiden noticing the feminine tone in the voice. Even a blind man would be able to notice the large wound on Raiden's arm, so of course she did. As if out of nowhere, a package fell into her hands from inside the cape and she unwrapped it delicately before offering it to Raiden. "Eat this. It will boost your Aura enough to make sure you make it out of this forest." Raiden hesitated and took the bread like substance and took a bite. Almost instantly, his aura felt renewed and it immediately started work on his arm. After she saw this happen, she stood and began to walk away. Raiden looked up in confusion.

"Wait, who are you?!" Raiden said, which only increased the pace of his savior who looked eager to escape. With his newly regained strength, Raiden reached out and managed to grab the girl by the hand. She snapped her head back with such surprise that the hood came off her head. What Raiden saw was a woman, with dark blue hair that reminded him of the ocean at night. His own green eyes met her grey, a colour that he'd never seen in anyone before. She was beautiful and he couldn't find the words to say. She freed her hand from his grasp and immediately turned away, pulling her hood back up and walking away. Raiden watched her go but she was not running. She didn't disappear like he knew that she was perfectly capable of. So, Raiden brought himself to his feet, put Iris back in her sheath and ran until he was walking alongside her. The two of them walked like that in silence.

"I'm Raiden." He said, breaking the silence between them. He looked down at the hooded girl, unable to read her expression. There were a few more moments of silence between them as they walked towards the temple. They both knew what their eye contact meant, so they were stuck with each other for a while. The girl drew in a silent breath.

"Aqua." She said. "My name is Aqua."

 **(AN:** Hi guys, thanks for reading another chapter of DARK's story, It's made me really happy to see you guys reading and following and all that good stuff. I decided to make initiation a 2 parter as it's the longest chapter I've written so far and they haven't even gotten to the temple yet. But I am writing the next part so I'll have it uploaded soon. Thank you for all your support and please remember to Follow, Favourite and Review, it means the world to me when you do. Until the next chapter, I'll see you all later!)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Coral and Kass arrived at the temple with little hassle. They encountered a few Grimm but thanks to their abilities and their growing cooperation, they were able to make it unharmed. Coral perused the different pedestals that were arranged in a circle on the edges of the temple. On top of each pedestal were different chess pieces, though some were missing at this point. It seemed some of the other students had gotten here first. The chess pieces reminded Coral of the games she would play with her Father on the rare occasion that he had the time. When they did play, however, he did not spare his daughter. He made sure that Coral would be able to win without any mercy or leniency from her opponent. To this day, Coral had never beaten her father in a chess match.

She was brought back to reality by a call from her partner. She turned her head and saw the faunus girl staring at a relic on a different pedestal. Coral went to her side and looked at the piece the girl was so fixated on. "Do you want to get this one?" Coral asked. Kass looked down at it and grabbed it immediately, nodding in agreement. The pair had their piece and so they took off back the way they came, back towards the cliff.

Azure and Beryl paced the cobblestone of the temple and looked at the different chess pieces. "A-Azure…" Beryl said softly, barely audible enough for Azure to hear but luckily, she managed to understand the girl.

"What is it, Bee?" She asked and Beryl immediately shriveled into herself at the new nickname. _Alright, no nicknames_ Azure thought to herself making a mental note but before she had the chance to apologize, Beryl spoke up again, holding up the game piece.

"We can head back now… right?" She asked, quiet as a mouse again. Azure smiled and nodded.

"Sure, let's head back. You've done great today." Azure said, reassuring her new partner. Beryl smiled at that and the two quickly made their way off, completely unaware that their greatest challenge was yet to come.

Raiden and Aqua were still trekking through the woods when they noticed Coral and Kass running past them. They both suddenly felt the urgency rise within them and took off down the path, although Aqua bolted ahead of Raiden at a rapid pace. Raiden struggled to keep up but eventually, he managed to catch up to the girl as they emerged from the forest and into the clearing with the temple right in front of them. They rushed into the temple but found two others inspecting a relic, a girl in a green cape and girl dressed in purple. Aqua and Raiden regained their composure and went in, looking at the relics.

All of a sudden, they heard a high-pitched scream, the very sound of it piercing their ears. They all could tell it had come from a quite far away. They all looked to the direction of the noise and then at each other. They all found a silent understanding with each other as Kayle and Aqua grabbed a relic each and then all four of them dashed off into the forest once again.

On the other side of the forest, in the clearing before the cliffs, Coral and Kass were currently running for their lives. As if out of nowhere, the boulders that were scattered around the area had come together and formed into a giant golem that reached heights much greater than the two of them. Not only, could they not do anything in retaliation to the rock giant's onslaught, but they were quickly running out of room to run. Kass was running towards the cliff, the Golem focusing on her but she stopped in her tracks as she now stood at the edge of what appeared to be a bottomless ravine, unable to see the bottom because of the mist rising from it. Kass turned back to her opponent, as it added another rock to its hulking body. She watched as the giant raised its 'arm' into the sky, preparing to launch the boulder at the girl. Things looked their worst but from the direction of the forest, the Golem was hit by an explosion and the rock dropped to the ground. Coral and Kass looked to the tree line and there they saw two other girls, one with long wavy purple hair and the other with pink hair, who was holding a rocket launcher.

Another rocket fired and hit the Golem right on its 'head', delaying its next attack further. Coral took this chance and rushed over to her partner, grabbing her arm and then running over to their new allies who were standing at the tree line. Beryl continued to fire rockets to keep the monster at bay as Coral and Kass took a moment to catch their breath. Kass looked up to her new allies.

"So, do any of us have a plan!?" She asked frantically as the Golem began to become less affected by the rocket barrage. Azure gritted her teeth in frustration at the lack thereof.

"No," The Gladiator said ashamedly. "My weapon's completely ineffective against this thing. Unless you two have got something-" She was cut off by the loud thud of the Golem taking another step towards them. They also noticed that it was preparing to throw another rock. Azure urgently yelled the order to run, and they all dashed off in different directions as the large boulder landed exactly where the four girls had been standing.

They frantically ran around, Azure and Beryl peppering it with bullets and rockets to keep it at a distance from the four girls. They all ran around like this unable to think of anything to do until Beryl decided to do something other than shoot rockets. She took a deep breath and raised both of her hands, palms open towards the towering giant. A golden clock wrapped itself around the Golem, and trapped the beast as if it was tied up in a chain. The Golem's movements slowed down to a near halt, but it kept moving very, very slowly. The three other girls looked towards her before Coral made the connection.

"It must be her semblance!" She cried. "She's slowing it down!"

Kass looked over to the girl and saw that she was visibly struggling. She knew what they must have been through today so Beryl would have been tired. She turned to look at Coral and Azure. "She can't hold it for long! We need to do something, fast!"

"Bee!" Azure called out. "Let go when I tell you! I have an idea." She looked over to Coral. "Coral!"

"Yes?!"

"You have dust, yes?!" Azure asked, to which Coral confirmed with a nod.

"Prep your ice dust then!" Azure commanded. "I have an idea!"

Coral did exactly as she was told, reaching into her jacket pockets and pulling out two blue capsules. She attached them to the hilt of her daggers and nodded that she was ready. Azure gave the clear for Beryl to stop. With a flash of light, and the ephemeral clock shattering into tiny golden pieces, Beryl collapsed to the ground having used her energy, exhausted. Azure took a deep breath and brought her hand to her chest and balling that hand into a fist, before raising it to the sky. When she opened her fist, a mote of light floated high into the sky and upon reaching its apex, exploding into a blinding light that shone down on them. The Golem cowered under the brightness and Azure yelled for Coral to go. The blue haired girl ran to the giant's leg, a giant stone column that it had possessed, and struck it with her blades. A giant chunk of ice grew around the leg and by the time the Golem realized what was happening to it, Coral had done the same to the next leg. Azure drew her gladius and charged in, jumping into the air and delivering a powerful strike on the ice-covered limb, shattering it into pieces. Kass didn't want to miss out on the fun, so she drew her scimitars that were lovingly called Celeste, and slashed at the other leg, sending the Golem crashing to the ground.

The bright light was still in the sky so the Golem was still unable to do anything but Azure knew they didn't have much time left. She knew the light could fade at any second and then the Golem would be back at full strength. As she wondered as how to finally kill it, Beryl rose to her feet. "I… I have an idea that might help!" She cried. She quickly made her way over to the large boulder that was now the monster and pressed her halberd against. Azure noticed the familiar fire coming from the end and suddenly she knew what to do. She ran up next to her partner and began to push.

"Everyone, with us!" She yelled out and Coral and Kass came up and began to help with their combined effort, and shortly after, the Golem began to move under the combined force. They could do it, they could win and they were going to. But shortly after they'd began to gain some ground, the normal blue sky and sunshine returned as Azure's mote of light faded away. The Golem, having regained its senses, began to push back against the girls and it was beginning to prove too much for them. They were being pushed back themselves against the Golem's colossal weight. Azure and the other girls braced harder as they felt it begin to overwhelm them.

There was smack against the rock and Azure opened her eyes to see another girl dressed in purple pushing with all her strength against the Golem. Then, three more people pressed against the Golem and the weight became easier to bear. Coral opened her eyes and saw a familiar green cape next to her.

"Kayle?!" She cried in disbelief. The girl in green looked back at Coral and mustered as big of a smile as she could under the extreme pressure.

"Hey." She grimaced under the weight. "Good to see you again." She said, Aqua's eyes watching the both of them. Everyone soon returned to the matter at hand and began to push harder against the monster. There was an intense struggle but they were beginning to win against the beast. After another desperate clash, they began to gain some momentum and before they knew it, they had the monster rolling towards its doom.

The monster fell into the bottomless ravine between the forest and the cliff and the initiates watched it fall. Most collapsed to the ground, regaining their breath and celebrating their victory. Azure turned to Dusk, who was leaning on her knees and breathing heavily. She nodded as a silent thank you and Dusk returned it. They'd won.

Or so they thought.

The ground beneath them began to shake under their feet. They all got up, shocked, and backed away from the edge of the ravine, drawing their weapons to fight once again. They all looked on in horror as they saw a giant hand grasp the edge of the ravine, and then another hand a few meters away. Then the rest of the giant resurfaced, ten times the size it once was, it's height now reaching up to the very top of the cliff. Its hands alone were the size of the entire Golem in its previous form, connected to arms made of massive stone columns belonging to an ancient structure. Its body was a gargantuan piece of rock, probably back from whenever the land collapsed and gave way to the ravine. This all finally lead to its head, made of a large stone. Luckily, it either didn't have a bottom half or it was too big to leave the ravine. Azure looked at it and drew her Gladius but Dusk gestured for her to put it down.

"We can't fight this thing and expect to win." She said to the gladiator. Azure stumbled to find the words.

"We have to try at least! We could die!"

"Look at your people!" Dusk said. "They can't fight, we need to get them out of here!" Azure looked over in horror as she looked at her group. They had used all their energy just to take the Golem down in the last fight and now they were struggling to hold up their weapons. Azure looked back to Dusk, defeated.

"What do we do?"

"Hang back for now." Dusk said to her. "We'll get you up there and then we're all getting out of here." Azure nodded begrudgingly and waved to her team mates to converge on her. They walked past her and Azure went to follow but Dusk grabbed her on the shoulder. "You've done everything you can. We'll get you out of here now." Azure nodded and joined the rest of her team.

"You two!" Dusk yelled, calling out to Aqua and Raiden. They both looked over to her and Kayle joined in on the strategy meeting. They huddled for a bit but the monster was preparing to attack so they all broke away to do their part.

On one side of the ravine, was Raiden, who took out Iris and turned it into its shotgun form. He began firing at the monster, peppering it with bullets right at its face. The colossus shielded its head with its arm as it saw where Raiden was. Its attention then turned to Aqua and Dusk who were on the other side of the ravine. Dusk was beating her shield with her spear, shouting all kinds of obscenities at the colossus. Aqua was also hitting her swords together, creating a clanging noise, but refrained from vulgar language. The Colossus raised its gargantuan arms in the air. It decided to take out two birds with one stone, or both of its fists.

"Now!" Dusk yelled as the fists began to plummet down to earth at a dangerous speed. They all dodged out of the way as the giant boulders slammed into the ground, shattering the earth and sending shockwaves through the ground. Kayle then knocked two arrows against her bow and aimed it straight down the middle of the Colossus. She let the arrows fly and they arced off in two different directions, landing directly on the Colossus' hands. Thick chunks of ice began to cover the massive boulders that were its hands and then the ice extended onto the ground. Aqua and Dusk rushed over to one hand and Dusk waved for Azure's group to come over. Now was the time to escape.

Aqua stood on top of the hand while Dusk stood at the bottom of it. Dusk would boost one person up as Aqua helped them get on top of the hand and from there they would climb their way up to the clifftop. They did this one after the other, starting with Beryl and then Kass and then Azure and, finally, Coral. They were two thirds of the way up when the ice that restrained the giant's hand began to crack. The Colossus was breaking free. Dusk saw this and frantically looked up to Aqua who was helping Azure's group climb.

"GO! CLIMB! NOW!" The blonde woman barked, jumping back down to the edge of the ravine as the Colossus freed itself from its icy restraints. The climbers began to scramble up to the top as the arm began to rise beneath them. Beryl got to the top safely and Kass quickly followed her. Azure jumped from the arm to the clifftop and they all turned and waited for Coral. She was about to jump when she'd began to wobble, losing her balance quickly afterwards and then falling towards the foggy pit below.

Coral opened her eyes and saw that she was hanging above the endless fog of the ravine. She looked up and saw the grey eyes and white hood of Aqua, her arm clutching onto Coral's. Her eyes widened as she remembered her from last night but she didn't have time to think as Aqua swung her up to the cliff top where the rest of Coral's team grabbed her and pulled her up. Aqua had fallen in the process, but she flipped into an upright position and pushed off of the Colossus, rejoining her allies at the bottom. The four initiates stood in line at the bottom as the Colossus let out a low roar. They all looked up with determination, their weapons at the ready.

"So, what now?" Raiden asked, hoping for an answer. Dusk chuckled and decided she'd give him one.

"Isn't it obvious?" She said, brandishing her spear and shield "We fight."

"We need to kill it this time." Aqua said, her blades resting at her sides as she held them in her hands. "It will keep coming back if we do not."

"Then we go for its face." Kayle said. "This one's a Geist Creature of Grimm. If we destroy the face, it'll be forced to leave the body."

They all had a target, now it was time to end this. Kayle drew an arrow from her quiver and shot it directly at the face, one arrow after the other. Her trajectory was off and they bounced off the solid stone surrounding the head. The Colossus pulled its arm back and shot it straight at the group in retaliation. The three girls moved out of the way, but Raiden remained, resolute. Iris sparked with electricity in his hand and he weaved under the giant fist, using his momentum and a blast from his shotgun to cut through the arm in one swing. A cloud of dust and debris came off the arm as a third of it that was connected to the hand crashed to the floor. Aqua didn't hesitate and nimbly jumped on the connected arm. She ran up the body, slashing at it with her ice dust imbued blades, leaving deep cuts in the Colossus' limb filled in with ice. The ice cracked and the arm began to fall apart in chunks. Aqua launched herself off the Colossal limb and aimed to strike right on the Grimm's weak spot. The Colossus brought its arm up and pushed her away. She landed back on the ground, skidding back from the force.

The four were back where they began, but the Colossus was now missing an arm but before they knew it, the other fist was crashing down on them. Dusk closed her eyes as she braced for impact. The hit never came however. When Dusk opened her eyes, she saw that they were all surrounded by a green sphere. She looked to Kayle and saw that she was focusing intently but struggling under the pressure. This must have been her semblance, a barrier. She knew that they had seconds before Kayle gave out under the weight. Dusk was going to turn that into minutes.

Her vision and everything around her turned a dark tinge of purple. She looked around and everything had slowed down exponentially, just as it always had when she used this ability. She saw the individual beads of sweat falling from Kayle's face but they fell at a snail's pace. She looked beyond the barrier and saw a bird flapping its wings so slowly that it shouldn't be in the air. This was her semblance, _"The Queen's Gaze"_. She looked around more, she had to come up with a plan. Kayle could make barriers, Raiden has electricity and she didn't know what Aqua had but she needed to work with what she knew. In that moment, which was slowed down one thousand times over, an idea came to her. She took a breath and at that moment, time went back to normal. Kayle was cracking under the pressure and everyone braced for impact. Dusk dived for Raiden's hand and pushed his sword into the barrier. The electricity seemed to course through it and when it finally cracked, an outward burst of electricity repelled the Colossus' fist. They'd survived. Dusk looked to Raiden.

"Raiden," She said and he turned his head to meet her gaze. "Can you bring that thing down to our level, even just a little bit?" Raiden looked over to the Colossus, weighing up the possibilities. He turned back to Dusk and nodded.

"Sure, if you can get me close enough to hit it." He said. Dusk looked over to Kayle and she nodded at Dusk.

"I can get him over there, leave it to me." She said. Dusk then turned to Aqua.

"Alright, I need you to stick with me." Dusk said and Aqua nodded in respons. They all faced the Colossus once again with a new determination. It was go time.

Raiden sprinted towards the ravine and jumped at the Colossus who was still a considerable distance away. He didn't fall into the fog but landed on a green barrier, courtesy of Kayle. Soon after, more barriers were being laid out for him and he jumped on them like stepping stones. Once he was at the Colossus' body, the barriers began to descend and he followed them up like a stairway. All the while, Dusk and Aqua were distracting the massive beast by making loud noises with their weapons. Raiden had now been building up energy in his sword for quite some time. He clicked the trigger on his sword a little bit of the way in and in an instant, the sword blazed with an electric current so intense that it consumed the blade entirely. He jumped off the barrier as it disappeared from under his feet and with one mighty swing and an equally might roar, he cleaved into the Colossus' core and slashed his way through, cutting the monster in half horizontally. A barrier caught Raiden as he fell. He landed on it and with the last of his strength jumped back to solid ground.

The Colossus began to topple over as it was no longer stably connected to its core. With its one good arm, it gripped the edge of the ravine, trying to stay upright. Dusk saw her chance and put her spear away on her back. She ran right up to the front of the beast and took a knee, raising her shield above her head.

"AQUA, UP!" She commanded and the hooded girl nodded in understanding. She got a running start before jumping and planting both feet on Dusk's shield. Dusk put all her might into the thrust upwards, launching Aqua high into the air, arcing above the Colossus. The Colossus itself followed her with its eyes. As it looked up, its vision began to be eclipsed by Aqua's form as she descended down onto the monster. As Aqua's blades pierced its weak spot, it screamed out in pain and was forced to flee from the body it inhabited.

Aqua back flipped off the Colossus as it now began to fall apart without a host. She landed nimbly on the floor, where she stood with the rest of her team mates, as they all watched the boulders and rocks fall back into the ravine. They were beginning to relax, when a sickly-looking creature rose out of the ravine and floated as fast as it could back into the forest. Dusk looked at the Geist with disgust and reached for her spear. She grabbed her weapon and took aim at the fleeing monster. With one last powerful thrust, she threw the spear and it went straight through the monster, landing in the dirt a few meters away. The Grimm crashed into the ground and disappeared, without a trace or a whimper. Dusk fetched her spear and returned to her allies. They all looked up at her and then turned their attention to the cliff top. Kass was cheering for the victorious group as loudly as she could and Azure did the same. Coral was holding up Beryl but they both smiled down at the victorious team. They four on the ground smiled up at the cliff top, but Aqua had her focus on one thing and one thing only. Coral.

Later that day, many people were gathered in the arena to bear witness to the team naming ceremony. Many had come to watch because this event marked the true first step into Beacon. For Huntsmen and Huntresses, teamwork is an absolutely vital skill to have when facing the creatures of Grimm and coming out in one piece. Over the next four years, alongside those who would become their team, they would learn to train in teamwork and ultimately come out as better and stronger huntsman, and hopefully, as better people. Some would part ways when they graduated, but for some, they would forge bonds with their team mates that would last them the rest of their lives. And that all began right here and now, at this ceremony.

Headmaster Ozpin was standing on stage, calling on students to come up as individuals and leave as team mates. This was the case with the team he was currently announcing.

"…and Conway Whitaker." He said, finishing the list. Kass and Dusk looked up and saw the pompous young man from yesterday on the stage. They were not pleased. "You four collected the White Pawn pieces and from this day forward, you shall work together as…" The four portraits on the screen had four letters fade underneath them revealin E. "Team White, led by Conway Whitaker." The four young men on stage quickly walked down, their leader spotting Dusk and giving her a poisoned look. Ozpin began again.

"Beryllium Lucidus, Azure Chrysalis, Kassandra Nightshade and Coralline Diamanté." The four young women walked up onto the stage with their hands behind their backs and their heads held high. "You four retrieved the White Queen pieces. From this day forward, you shall work together as…" Their portraits appeared with the letter L. "Team Candela, led by Azure Chrysalis." Kass punched their leader playfully on the shoulder, Coral hugged her and Beryl stood by smiling ear to ear. Aqua was watching everything.

"Raiden Steele…" The man stood to attention and walked up onto the stage. "Dusk Solveig, Kayle Lorn and Aqua Volantis." The four warriors stood on stage, stoic and resolute as they were when they faced down the Colossus, overcoming their first trial as a team. "The four of you collected the Black Knight pieces. From this day forward you shall work together as…" their portraits were underlined with the letter K. "Team DARK, led by Dusk Solveig." Raiden looked down the line and gave an approving nod. Dusk looked at Kayle the archer gave her a warm smile. Aqua didn't look at Dusk, but the shield maiden could have sworn she saw the smallest smile on the girl's face.

DARK walked off the stage and watched as the rest of the teams were announced. Once it was all finished, all the first years stood at the foot of the stage. Ozpin looked at the last team on stage and glanced at all the ones in the crowd below. He looked at their fresh faces and reflected on the things he had seen them all accomplish during initiation. At that moment, a rare smile came across his face.

"Looks like things are shaping up to be an… interesting year." He said, signifying the end of the ceremony and the start of a journey for all of the young Huntsmen and Huntresses.

 **(A/N:** Hello again everyone and thank you so much for reading. I had a really fun time writing this chapter since big battle scenes are really fun for me to write. I'm starting school again soon so chapters might not come out as frequently but I promise that I'll work my hardest to continue working on the story. As always, please remember to follow, favourite and review and I'll see you guys in the next chapter.)


	5. Chapter 5

The Team Naming Ceremony had concluded many hours ago, and after a small post ceremony celebration, the newly formed Team DARK were walking through a dimly-lit hallway, heading towards their designated room where they would be staying for the remainder of their Education. They walked in a single file along the carpeted corridor, everyone wearily following Dusk who had the directions on her scroll. This was Dusk however, and just in this one trip her team had come to realize how useless she was with a scroll. She stared at the device in frustration, tapping on it to no effect. "Ugh, these things are impossible!" She said, groaning in frustration, looking over her shoulder at the three-people walking behind her. Kayle had her hood up so Dusk couldn't read her expression, Raiden was slouching as he walked and had bags under his eyes and Aqua seemed completely normal, which was a bit strange considering everything they'd done today.

Kayle pulled down her hood and rolled her eyes. She reached her hand over Dusk's shoulder and made a gesture with her hand. "Give it here."

Dusk complied and put the scroll in the girl's palm. Kayle began to tap away on the screen. "Stop." She said, grinding to a halt.

Raiden walked into her, taking him from semi-conscious and turning him conscious. "What? Are we there yet?" He said, darting his head around the hallway.

"We are." The group archer announced, turning her head to the right. They all saw a door and Kayle reached for the handle and opened it before stepping through it. The rest of the group followed suit.

What they saw inside was a fairly large room, only to be cramped by all the things it had inside. To the furthest wall away from them were four beds, two on the right and two on the left with a space left in between that was occupied by a bedside table. On the opposite end of the room were two work desks separated by a few meters, each with ample space for book storage above it. There was a circular rug laid out right in the center of the room. The four of them took in the view, getting used to it since they'd all be staying there for a while.

Kayle stepped out in front and looked over at the beds. "Wait, does no one else see the problem here?" She said, turning back to her team mates. Dusk folded her arms and looked at her so Kayle kept going. "Do we actually share rooms with a guy? Does no one else find this weird?"

Her question was answered as Raiden walked past her. He dropped his bag and his sword at the foot of the bed on the far left side of the room, and fell onto the mattress, falling asleep instantly. Kayle looked at him in disbelief as Aqua also went to lie down on a bed.

Dusk walked past Kayle as well, patting the girl on the shoulder before hopping onto a bed on the right side of the room. "Glad we sorted that out." She said, yawning, as her eyes slowly shut for the night. Kayle let out a sigh and sat on the bed on the far right of the room. She unfastened her cape and draped it over the end of the bed. She got under the covers and fell asleep, waiting for what tomorrow would bring.

Kayle was the first to rise out of bed the next morning. Or at least she thought she was, until she saw Aqua sitting at the foot of her bed, already dressed in her full school uniform. It was the standard brown tie up shoes, tartan skirt, black blazer and white shirt tied with a neat red bow. Aqua also wore the optional stockings, coming up to her thighs. She also still wore the white shoulder cape but personalization like that was tolerated. She also had her dark blue hair tied back in a ponytail, much like she had the previous day.

Kayle stretched and climbed out of bed, giving a polite good morning to the only other awake person in the room, which she returned in kind. She then retrieved her uniform, showered, got changed and ate breakfast, before heading back to the dorm room. There she saw that their leader was gone, Raiden was dressed and now unpacking from his bag and Aqua was in the exact same spot she'd left her in. She looked to Raiden and saw him unpacking. He seemed to only have the essentials. He unpacked some clothes before hanging them up in the cupboard or putting them in drawers, grabbed his books and studying materials and that was pretty much it. Kayle decided that she would do the same with her own things.

The archer finished unpacking her things, when the dorm room door swung open and in stepped Dusk, now dressed in her uniform and tying her wild mane of blonde hair into a ponytail as a piece of toast hung from her mouth. Dusk looked up and saw the three of them looking at her.

"Gud Murning." She said, addressing her team as best she could with a piece of bread wedged between her teeth. She nonchalantly tied up her hair and grabbed the piece of toast from her mouth, chewing on what she had as she walked to her bed and sat down on the mattress. "Alright. What's on the agenda for today." She said, still playing with the knots in her hair.

"Today marks our first day of formal classes." Aqua said from her spot on her own bed. "We have four lessons today, running for an hour and forty-five minutes each. According to my timetable, it is Remnant History first, then General Studies, and then lunch for one hour. Afterwards we have Grimm Studies and then allocated time for weapon tuning."

The three other students stared at her. She'd managed to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the timetable and how it worked and their first day hadn't even technically started yet. They sat there in silence until Raiden caught their attention by loudly clearing his throat. He flipped open his student planner and saw his class lists. "It looks like we're all in the same classes today, too." He said, pulling out his scroll and checking the time. "Class doesn't start for another half hour but it's all the way across campus." He pocketed the scroll and looked to his team. "Should we go now?"

Dusk rose to her feet and picked up her things. "Sounds like a plan to me."

The rest of the day passed by with no problems. DARK sat through a lecture serving as their introduction to Remnant History, which was delivered by an eccentric and over caffeinated man with green hair. He spoke at a pace of around a mile a minute making it almost impossible to understand anything he was saying. They then moved onto general studies, things like mathematics, languages and all the other basics required from an educational curriculum. They then all gathered in one of Beacon's many communal park spaces and shared lunch together, talking about the lessons and how strange some of the teachers seemed to be. Nothing could have prepared for the one they had next, however.

They walked into Grimm studies and sat down at the tables. A stout man dressed in a burgundy coat and who had the thickest eyebrows any of them had seen walked out from a backroom and addressed the students.

"Monsters!" The man bellowed. "Demons. Prowlers of the night. Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names. But I merely refer to them… as prey."

There was a silent, collective groan that could be felt coming from the students. Raiden folded his arms and sat back in his seat, shaking his head. He could tell the old man in front of him had said that dramatic line many times before and Raiden could tell that the rest of the lesson was going to be like this as well.

The lecture dragged on for what seemed like ages, to the point where Raiden felt that he couldn't take it anymore. He looked over to Kayle who seemed to be as bored as he was but she was a bit better at hiding it. He looked at Dusk, who was intently listening and even laughing along with the portly professor at some points. She wasn't treating this as a lesson though. It wasn't an educational lesson meant to impart knowledge for her, but rather a grand tale of battle and triumph that one might tell around a campfire. Raiden envied that, it might have made it bearable. Aqua seemed to be listening attentively and gave no sign of emotion, whether that be boredom like he felt, or enthusiasm like Dusk was showing.

"And then as I sit in the Nevermore's nest, it swooped down with its fiendish talons pointed right at me. But as it came I raised my battle axe skyward and…" The Professor was reaching the 'climax' of one of his stories when his sight-line met the clock hanging above the door. "Ahem, I'm afraid I will have to continue this lesson at a later date as we are out of time. Now is your allocated time to give your weapons a tune up after yesterday's initiation. Please take out your weapons and materials." The students did exactly that, walking from their desks and picking up their weapons, or some just pulling them out from where they were sitting. They then sat back down and started work on their weapons.

Professor Port walked around, looking at each weapon, seeming to be impressed by the students' imaginations as he marveled at what they created. He walked over to Raiden and looked down at the disassembled Iris, as Raiden was now cleaning the individual pieces of his sword's shotgun components. Once he was done, he put the pieces back together and switched Iris between its sword and shotgun mode, everything working perfectly.

"Very nice, Mr. Steele, an ingenious design" Port said, moving past Raiden's desk before continuing to Kayle who was currently screwing arrow heads onto some headless shafts. He nodded in approval and moved on to Aqua, who was sitting patiently but idly. The Professor raised an eyebrow. "Is everything all right, Ms. Volantis? Where are your weapons?" He said, calling out the strange behavior.

Aqua turned her head and looked the Professor in the eyes. "I can assure you that my weapons are well maintained and well cared for." She said. "Maintenance is not necessary."

The professor nodded and moved on. He came up to Dusk's workstation and saw that she was sharpening the head of her spear as the shield sat on the desk. He looked it over and couldn't see any trigger mechanism or any kind of transformative aspect to the weapon. He thought it was quite strange, given the designs of the other students but thought it was excellent in its own way. "Good work, Ms. Solveig. Your weapon is very… traditional." He commented.

Dusk chuckled and continued to work on the spear head. "Compared to everyone else's, sure, but trust me professor, Glory gets the job done." She said, looking up at her teacher.

He let out a hearty laugh of enthusiasm at Dusk's response. "Glory, eh?" He said, with a knowing countenance. "Ah, a fine name for a fine weapon. Keep up the good work, Dusk."

The professor walked away and Dusk laughed with him as he did so before continuing work on her prized weapon. Once he was gone, Raiden walked up to Dusk, having finished working on his own blade. "I've been meaning to ask." He began, looking over Dusk's weapon. "Your weapon is pretty simple by today's standards. Where'd you say you're from again?"

Dusk looked up at him but payed no mind to what she thought he was insinuating. "A small village, right at the far south of Mistral." She looked back down and continued to work on her weapon. "You've never heard of it." She said. Raiden realized his error in his phrasing.

"Oh no, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that." He confessed. "It's just, fighting Grimm is really dangerous so having range helps. That's why most people make hybrid weapons, so, y'know, it's strange to see that you haven't."

Dusk scoffed. "It has range." She pointed out. "I can throw it."

Raiden chuckled. "I've seen that you can. But that was just for a tiny little Geist, so what happens if you run into something bigger, like a Beringel?" Dusk fell silent at that remark as she continued to sharpen her weapon, before an idea came into Raiden's head. "Y'know, my Dad and I designed and built Iris together so I'm good at making weapons. If you'd like, I could help you make your weapon into something better. Maybe turn the spear into a rifle of some kind-"

"Better?" She said, cutting the boy off. "You think you can make my Glory better?" She took up the spear and held it in both her hands, gesturing for Raiden to look at it. The wood seemed extremely durable, without barely a notch or a scratch on it. The spear head was extremely sharp, so much so that Raiden felt he'd cut himself just by looking at it for too long. Some thickly woven chords were wrapped around the center of the shaft, giving Dusk superior grip on the weapon and the end of the weapon was sharpened into a stake, that could impale anything that Dusk deemed necessary.

"This weapon was made by the finest craftsman in my village, carved from a tree that took 30 men and 3 whole years to cut down, same goes for my shield. The head is forged from the hardest iron ever created and sharpened to the point where it can cut through stone. It may not have the range of a gun, but my arm is just as good as whatever you've got shooting bullets in your sword." Dusk's tone became more heated the more that she doted on her weapon, to the point where people began to stare. She quietened down, grazing her hand over the shaft of the spear. "Glory was made to be the ultimate monster slayer, and that's exactly what she is."

"You're right." Raiden said, taking Dusk off guard. "From just looking at your weapon, I can tell that everything you're telling me is true. Glory is the ultimate monster slayer." Dusk grinned at the praise she was getting but Raiden wasn't finished. "But Grimm aren't the only monsters that Huntsmen have to deal with."

Dusk blinked at him, confused so Raiden continued to elaborate. "Grimm are monsters, and they need to be exterminated to protect innocent people, but speaking from experience, there are worse monsters out there, capable of so much more than mindless carnage that the creatures of Grimm are known for."

Dusk still seemed confused. She was told that Huntsmen were the protectors of mankind, the pinnacle of self-sacrifice and bravery as they fought against the only creatures that sought to snuff out humanity as their sole purpose. But she heard the certainty and conviction in Raiden's voice, so the idea of a monster worse than the Grimm… frightened her.

Raiden looked her dead in the eyes. "I'm talking about people, Dusk. Glory was made to be the ultimate monster slayer, but that will mean nothing when you fight another person. The people you'll fight will have iron that can destroy even the hardest wood that you have back home. They'll have guns that can rain fire down on you before you'll even have the chance to get in close enough. They'd burn through your shield without a second thought, leaving you completely vulnerable and they'll snap your spear as if it were a twig."

The images Raiden was describing ran through her head. She saw men with evil smiles shattering her weapons, before she even had the chance to fight. She saw her weapons burning in her hands before the ashes were blown away in the wind. She snapped out of her stupor and looked back at Raiden.

"So what are you going to do when Glory won't be enough?"

The two sat in silence for a long time after that. Relief came for Dusk in the form of the bell that signaled the end of the school day. Raiden left Dusk to think on it, turning to go grab his stuff but the blonde stopped him. She called out his name and he turned back to face her. "Raiden. I know that I've got a lot of weaknesses." She said, looking down. "I'm stubborn, brash and looking at everyone else, it makes me look primitive in comparison… But I've got a lot of strengths too. And I know better than anyone that those will be enough to get me through anything that comes my way." She raised her head and met his gaze, giving Raiden a grin that stretched from ear to ear. "And for everything else, that's why I have you guys." Raiden tried to think of what to say but was interrupted by Kayle walking up to her team mates.

The girl looked at the two of them. "So, class is over, what do you guys want to do now?" She asked. Dusk looked away from Raiden, slinging her spear over her shoulder and picking up her shield. "I figured we could head back to the dorm and do the history homework and then get dinner."

Kayle nodded in agreement. "That sounds good to me." She said as she turned to Raiden. "What do you want to do? Raiden?"

The boy's attention seemed to be focusing on something else as he scanned the room, looking for something. He turned back to his team mates with a puzzled expression. "Have you guys seen Aqua?"

( **A/N:** Hey guys, thanks again for reading another chapter. Been back at school for a week and its heavily impacted my writing time but I promise I'll try to get one chapter out a week, probably on Friday's from now on. Thanks for sticking by and reading, it means a lot to me, especially since we're out of the action a bit and into more domestic situations. Things'll pick up soon though, so don't worry. Unless you guys like this stuff then let me know and I'll do the best I can. So as always, please remember to favourite, follow and review, it helps my motivation a ton when you guys do. Alright, thank you guys and I'll see you in the next chapter.)


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Aqua had left her final class for the day and was now standing outside of the arena where they were at yesterday for the naming ceremony. She knew that she held no responsibilities to anyone at this time, now that her lessons were over.

Well, she still had one.

The large doors of the arena were pushed open and a flock of students made their way outside of the building. They were all coming from Goodwitch's dueling class, where students were pitted against each other in one on one (or possibly more on some rare occasions) fights. There were many walking out who were high fiving each other and other signs of celebration, while others appeared to be a bit more dejected. Aqua could separate the victors and the losers from each other because of this and when she spotted Coral and the rest of her team walking out, she could see from the way they all cheered on the pink haired member of their group, that she'd emerged victorious in her trial. She walked out in front of them, meeting the eyes of Candela's leader. The purple haired girl smiled, recognizing Aqua.

"Well, hello." She said to Aqua, surprised to see the girl there. "Fancy running into you here."

Aqua nodded and looked to Beryl, who shot her gaze straight to the ground at the sudden eye contact. "Congratulations on your victory, Beryllium." She said, in her usual monotone. She scanned over the girl more, seeing that she didn't come out of the fight without her fair share of scratches. "It seems that you fought hard in your match."

There was an awkward silence between the five women before Azure let out a laugh and patted her partner on the back. "Yeah she did fight hard." She said, commending her partner. "Right up until the very end." Azure looked at Aqua and gave a weak nod. "She didn't win though, that's where you're mistaken."

Aqua blinked in confusion at the correction. "Forgive me, you all seemed so jovial when you were walking out just now, I recieved the impression that-"

"Impression rightly given!" Kass said, interrupting her. "Bee kicked some serious ass right up until the end so we're still happy." She looked at her other group members and then back to Aqua. "In fact, we're going out to celebrate." Aqua was even more confused by this statement.

"I am afraid I do not understand." She said. "She did fail, did she not?"

Kass stared Aqua down at that statement, with eyes of malicious intent but Azure seemed to be a bit more understanding of the situation, so she spoke up. "What's important to us is that she tried her best and that's cause enough to celebrate." Aqua still did not understand and Azure smiled at the girl. "Would you like to join us, Aqua?"

Aqua concealed her emotions perfectly. She didn't show any signs of confusion or bewilderment at the sudden request to join in their celebration. She wasn't a part of their team, they were acquaintances at best and she'd insulted the person they were celebrating. Still, she didn't give away any sign of these thoughts in her expression. She looked over at Coral, who was studying the girls face, as if she knew her from somewhere and was trying to remember from what. Aqua turned back to Azure and nodded.

"Thank you for the invitation. Very well, I will join you."

The five girls ventured to the cafeteria and took their seats along some of the tables. Candela ordered their food, except for Beryl, as the rest were paying for her meal tonight. Aqua sat at the table with her meal but she didn't eat at it as she wasn't feeling particularly hungry. Kass and Azure both doted over Beryl, much to the girl's dismay and Aqua sat by and watched. Coral slid in next to Aqua with a tray of food which had her meal, a piece of fruit and some dessert. Coral held up the dessert, a small bowl of ice cream, offering it to Aqua.

"No thank you." Aqua said, politely declining. "I am not hungry." This still didn't deter Coral as she continued to hold the treat in front of her.

"You're our guest, Aqua" Coral said. "And I'd feel bad if you'd come all the way to our little celebration without taking part in anything so come on." Coral looked her in the eyes with a sad face. "Please?"

Aqua stared at the girl and the smallest hint of a smile began to make its way on her face, before she gave in and took the bowl and spoon off of her. She looked into the bowl, scooping up some ice cream and then eating it. For a dessert that was supposed to serve hundreds of students, it was actually quite good. Aqua looked over to Coral and smiled. "Thank you. It is delicious."

Coral turned back to her own meal with a proud expression. "No problem." She said cheerily. The two sat next to each other and ate in blissful silence before Coral couldn't take it anymore, needing to get something off her chest. "I also wanted to thank you for yesterday." She said, thinking on the day's events. "When I slipped off of that column, I thought that was it but… you saved me. So, thank you." She said one last time. Aqua stared into her bowl. She remembered the events perfectly.

"There is no need." She said, finishing off the ice cream. Coral looked over to Aqua, waiting for what she would say next. Aqua put her spoon down and looked into the other girl's eyes with a warm smile. "What I did was just… something a huntress would do." Coral smiled as well at the other girl's answer. She liked Aqua. She didn't know whether Aqua was someone she could count on yet, but she did like the way she carried herself and for now that was enough. Coral picked up her utensils again and kept digging into her meal.

The girls had a pleasant conversation after that. They discussed the events of their first day at Beacon, Coral's timetable differentiating very much from Aqua's, as Aqua didn't have dueling class until the end of the week. They talked on and on together, sharing a laugh over Professor Oobleck and how crazy he was. Coral finished her meal and the rest of her team did as well soon after. With a quick goodbye, Candela retired for the night and went back to their dorm, leaving Aqua by herself. She figured she would follow suit and return to her team and get some rest.

She made her way to the Huntsman statue on her way back, when she heard a familiar voice call out to her. She looked back, and saw a silver head of hair reflecting in the moonlight, approaching her.

"Damn it." Raiden said in between panting breaths. "I've spent all afternoon looking for you, where have you been?"

"Celebrating with Team Candela." She said, simply and in a matter of fact tone. "Berylliu- I mean Beryl had her first duel today and lost so they went out to celebrate. I joined them for dinner in the cafeteria."

Raiden eyed the girl as he listened but with a sigh, he ultimately decided to give up on being annoyed. "Alright." He said, unfolding his arms and turning on his heel. "Dusk and Kayle are back in the dorm working on that history homework, so we should probably go join them."

"Stop." She said, making the boy turn back to look at her. "Did you say that you were looking for me all afternoon?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't matter. Let's just head back and-"

"Have you eaten?" She asked, walking closer.

"Aqua, it's fine, trust me." He said in his best attempt to get back to the dorm and to finally get some sleep. A loud rumble from his gut gave away his lie quickly after.

Aqua shook her head. "You should be aware that it is important to keep up your strength." She said, reaching for something from under her hood. As if from nowhere, she pulled out a takeaway container filled with food that seemed to still be hot and held it out to Raiden. "Take this." She said, as Raiden took the container and opening the lid just a crack. He was overcome by a heavenly aroma that nearly swept him off of his feet. He'd heard stories but it seemed like the food at Beacon was truly something else. He looked back to Aqua, who wore the smallest of smiles at seeing Raiden so pleased with her gift. She nodded at him and began to walk off. "Goodnight, Raiden." She said, getting further and further away with every step. Raiden looked back at the container, and then looked back at Aqua's retreating figure. He called out to the girl.

She turned back and this moment, to Raiden, was much like when he first saw her back in the Emerald Forest. The night's breeze made her coat flutter, making Aqua look like something not of this world but of something more ethereal, angelic even. Her blue hair shone in the light of the shattered moon and the way that the light reflected in the pools danced in her eyes was breathtaking.

"Yes?" She said.

Raiden could have lasted in this moment forever. But time still marched on. He swallowed the lump in his neck and spoke up. "I know that you might not be hungry since you just ate, but…" He rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. "Would you like to join me?"

Aqua was taken aback. This was the second time this evening she was asked to eat with someone but this time it was just her and Raiden. The boy looked at her with sincerity in his eyes. "I wouldn't mind the company." He confessed. "And to be honest, going back and doing homework is the last thing I want to do right now."

There was a lull between them, standing away from each other but feeling connected in the moment. The breeze blew past them, through the trees and beyond the academy grounds, but there the two stood. Aqua walked back over to Raiden at a slow pace, her heels clicking against the stone of the walkway.

"Very well." She said, softly.

They walked side by side, away from the main thoroughfare and closer to the pool of water, shimmering in the moonlight. Raiden sat down on the grass and Aqua perched herself on a bench. Raiden opened the container again, realizing he didn't have anything to eat it with. He looked back up and saw Aqua holding out some chopsticks for him. He took them with a thank you and began to dig in.

Raiden was enjoying his meal almost too much when he felt the noodles stop in his throat, instead of going all the way down. He choked and hit his chest with a loud thud, dislodging the food and letting him breathe again. When he regained his senses, he looked up at the girl in front of him, who was now giggling at his expense. When he saw this, he didn't berate her for laughing or stubbornly continue eating as if it never happened. He smiled, warmly.

Aqua calmed down back to her usual appearance, but still had the traces of a smile left on her face as Raiden finished his dinner. He closed the container and looked back to her. "That was delicious." He said. "And no offense, but it was much better than what you'd given me back in the forest."

Aqua clasped her hands together and rested them on her lap. "That was to recharge your aura and make sure that you did not perish. How it tasted should not have been your primary concern in that moment."

Raiden chuckled and stared at the container in his hands. "I never did thank you for that." He said, catching the girl's attention. "You helped me when I really needed it… don't think I'd be here if you didn't."

"Nonsense." The girl said. "The teachers would have come in to save you if they thought you were in any real danger."

"I know that. What I mean is, I wouldn't be 'Here'." He said, and Aqua finally understood. She looked at the landscape around them, the large towers now covered in darkness, and the vast distance beyond. "My Dad's a Huntsman, has been for a long time. For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to be just like him, a great monster slayer, and an even better man. So, naturally, I want to become a huntsman and make him and my Mum proud." He took a pause and the silence became palpable, as he reflected on what could have happened. "But it came so close to ending, right then and there, in the forest. But thanks to you, my dream gets to live for another day."

Aqua stared at him, dumbfounded. Had the simple action of killing those Grimm and giving him something to get his strength back really inspired so much gratitude? "You celebrate me too much." She said, looking away from him. "What I did, it was…" She sighed and looked back at him, "It was something that a true huntress would do."

Raiden let out a smile again. "And I guess that's how I know that you'll be a great one. Yeah, they'll be singing songs one day of the huntress in blue and white, Aqua the Gallant. It has a nice ring to it, I think."

Raiden's embellishment forced Aqua to do something she didn't find herself doing much at all. Raiden watched as he heard laughter come from the girl, not a repressed giggle or an inauthentic imitation, but a genuine laughter that made her happy, making him happy as well. It was the first time he'd heard her do it, and he liked it when she did. Aqua quietened down, Raiden taking the opportunity to speak again. "I like it when you laugh." He said.

Another silence fell on the two but they didn't seem to mind. It wasn't awkward or even unwanted, it was just something that was there. Raiden placed his food container to his side and repositioned himself so he was sitting more comfortably on the ground. "So, what about you?" He asked, breaking the silence. "Why do you want to be a huntress?"

Aqua closed her eyes and thought on it. Normally, people would have thought of an answer years ago or something to say to mask their true intentions, but Aqua seemed to have not really ever thought about it. "I suppose… It is the natural choice." She said, which piqued Raiden's interest as he sat up more, listening intently. "I was strongly encouraged by my parents as they gave me the most extensive training one can provide. I suppose you could say that I was born to fight monsters."

Raiden thought this was strange. Of course, he was inspired by his parents to become a Huntsman but for Aqua, it seemed as if the decision was made for her, quite early on, in fact. "Is that what you wanted to do? Become a huntress?"

Aqua's expression seemed to lose its warmth at Raiden's question. "Believe me, Raiden. I could not see myself as anything other than a Huntress. It is what I am destined to become."

"But if you could," Raiden said, "what would it be?

Aqua sighed and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. She thought on this for suggestion for another few moments. "Perhaps I would become a chef." She said, rising from her seat. "I seem to make others happy when I bring them food."

Raiden laughed at the response and was about to say something more when Aqua held out her hand to him.

"Come. It is getting late, and tomorrow is another day." Raiden stared at her but after a few moments, took her hand, being lifted to his feet by a surprising amount of strength. Then, the two of them walked back to their dorm, making sure not to wake Dusk or Kayle, who had already gone to sleep.

Raiden's head hit his pillow and shortly after, his eyes became too heavy for him to keep open, slowly drifting off to sleep.

( **A/N:** Hi everyone, thanks for reading another chapter. I'll stick to the weekly chapter updates as best I can but it seems to be working out so far. Please remember to follow, favourite and review, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter!)


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